Body of Evidence

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation #4

by Max Allan Collins

Early one quiet Monday morning, in an empty executive office, assistant Janice Denard begins to prepare for another ordinary day - but instead discovers evidence of horrific crimes, shocking photographs left abandoned in a printer. Now, with the help of the LVPD's computer forensics experts, the CSI team must track through hardware and software, deception and deceit to find the perpetrators. But while Willows and Stokes investigate the once well-hidden secrets now revealed in print, Grissom, Brown, and Sidle uncover new and disturbing evidence in a high-profile media case...the brutal murder of the Mayor's long-missing secretary.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Thriller, Media Tie In, Detective, Mystery Thriller

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 28, 2003

About the author

Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 2006.

He has also published under the name Patrick Culhane. He and his wife, Barbara Collins, have written several books together. Some of them are published under the name Barbara Allan.

Book Awards
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1984) : True Detective
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Stolen Away
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1995) : Carnal Hours
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) : Damned in Paradise
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1999) : Flying Blind: A Novel about Amelia Earhart
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Angel in Black

Japanese: マックス・アラン・コリンズ
or マックス・アラン コリンズ

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another late shift so not in time home to watch a CSI double bill with my daughter who has a thing with Greg Sanders, Hodges and Morgan from the later series of the CSI TV show. Now that she knows I got a few CSI books downloaded on my e-reader I have to check my work bag every day for the E-reader to be in my possession. She is bound to nick it sooner rather than later as she is a college kid that is stuck at home with the Corona crisis. Like her dad she is a fairly quick read and she is a bigger CSI fan than I am, I even have the gall to favor CSI New York over the original CSI. Anyhow this already number 4 I am reading as written by Max Allan Collins, I have enjoyed before a few of his Mike Hammer continuations. The man can write a more than decent story.

Once again like the formula on TV the CSI gets two cases one High profile case involving the Las Vegas Mayor who was involved with one his aides who disappeared without a trace and her body gets found rolled up in a carpet. This time the night-shift with Grissom will do their best to solve the crime.
Nick and Catherine are called in to a situation that involves printouts of Child pornography in an Ad company and get on the trail of the person responsible for spreading this vile literature. They learn a lot about computer crime and how to cover it.
The lesson in both cases is that you start from the beginning and the first person on the scene.

Another well written and thought out CSI novel, fun reading these.

[holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

max sweaty, now why was the vegetarian eating a turkey sandwich? 🤔

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Rebecca Bronson · Rating 3 out of 5]

sara eating a turkey sandwich made me put this book down and go research when this was published vs. the episode she says she’s a vegetarian… the episode came out almost a full year before. side eye.

[Jimmy Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This, I was surprised to note, is my fifth CSI novel, and my third by Max Allan Collins. I had no idea until I looked at my list, and would not be able to recall the story of any of them without looking at the summary on the binding. And that, I have a feeling, is what will happen with this book, too.

Not that the story is bad, by any means - but it's not memorable. We have, as in the series, two crimes to solve. The lead assistant at an advertising agency comes into the office early on Monday and discovers child pornography has been printed and left on an executive's printer. Catherine and Nick must try to put their personal baggage aside while they laboriously search for the source of the criminal activity. At the other end of town, the mayor's missing assistant is finally located - dead, apparently having been tortured while held captive. With an election near, Grissom's usual difficulty in dealing with people is exacerbated by tensions amongst the opponents and their campaign managers.

The advertising case involves tracing the source of the print job, therefore pulling every electronic device from the hard-working and protesting advertising company; there are rudimentary discussions of imaging, IP addresses, MAC addresses and other such oblique computer elements for our field agents. The murder case gives a bit more tension as Gus and team trot about examining additional evidence on an increasingly creepy path.

Neither story is riveting, but the trail Catherine and Nick follow is interesting, particularly when they're wrong - my attention was held watching them work their way through the problem as the advertising firm personnel grew in abrasiveness. I found the murder a little less interesting - the storyline had shock/disgust value, but was very basic (and at times improbable).

And I continue to be challenged by the descriptions of Grissom's character, which really came to a head for me with this book. Much as I'd like to, I just can't imagine him achieving a managerial position in any job setting, since he so clearly lacks the ability to get along with people. In real life, the Gus Grissom described in the book would be an essential senior level "lead" - enduring constant coaching about working well with others - while the managerial team all agree in private that he has no hope, ever, of making a move up (technical expertise is only worth so much). There's definitely some charisma that the character in the television series offers which has been lost in the books.

[Laura Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

kind of boring and anticlimactic

[Tê Ngố ジ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trinh thám vốn không phải thể loại yêu thích, thậm chí còn gần như không phải thể loại nếu để chọn thì mình chọn; chẳng qua ở nhà có sẵn đôi vài cuốn, và đây là một trong những cuốn. Hai vụ án song song không có nhiều dấu ấn, xây dựng nhân vật cũng chẳng có điểm nhấn đặc trưng, nhưng nhân vật Nick và Cath thì thật sự bét nhè chè đỗ đen, có phải đại biểu cho tầng lớp cảnh sát quan liêu ngu ngốc ngớ ngẩn cảm tính vô trách nhiệm? Mình không theo dõi sê-ri này để nắm bắt được chuyện gì trong quá khứ khiến Cath và Nick bị ám ảnh bởi vấn đề hai người này đối mặt, nhưng Cath trong khi luôn miệng cho rằng mình là một má mì, với tư cách là một má mì, đại biểu cho một má mì - một phụ huynh có con, nhưng cái mà người ta gọi ấy, là gì nhỉ, trực giác? bản năng?, - của một người mẹ, một phụ huynh, đối với một người cha yêu thương và bảo vệ con, cái trực giác và bản năng ấy, đâu? Cô này là một phụ nữ còn đỡ chứ anh Nick chịu không nổi luôn đó, như một thằng trẩu tre được đánh bóng bằng chức vụ của một điều tra viên, suy nghĩ, cách nói chuyện và hành xử tồi tệ luôn. Và có phải do vốn tiếng nước ngoài của mình hạn hẹp không, hoặc văn hoá quá bó buộc chứ thấy, đặc biệt là anh Nick này, kiểu cách nói chuyện còn đồi bại hơn bụi đời chợ Lớn nữa, cà giật khinh khỉnh và bớ nháo hết hồn. Đọc câu chuyện mà tức anh ách, vì sự ngớ ngẩn và thật phải gọi là đến dốt của anh này, và cả chị kia nữa. Chẳng cảm nhận được sự cảm thông đối với một người cha có con gái và đủ vấn đề phải đương đâu. Nói chung là đọc giết thời gian chứ nhạt nhẽo và ấm ách khó chịu lắm. Câu chuyện còn lại đỡ bức xúc hơn chút đỉnh nhưng cũng không có gì đặc sắc.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ones been sitting on my tbr shelf for a while. I finally read it. This novel, based on the original CSI characters, follows two cases.
The first case is a case involving child pornography found in a printer tray. Catherine and Nick are on the job as they follow leads that will lead to the culprit. But do they have the right one? The second crime involves a high profile media case. Gil, Sara and Warrick have to find out who the woman found left dead rolled in a carpet in the desert. Once her identification is made, they must find who killed her while navigating through tricky political waters.
I enjoyed this novel...as I also enjoy the show. Its a nice throw back to the old team doing what they did best. I do recommend this for those who enjoy CSI, or shows like it. I would also recommend it to those who like crime novels.

[Vittorio Ambrosetti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ho seguito con piacere la serie televisiva e ho cominciato questo libro sperando di ritrovare la stessa atmosfera e i personaggi che ho amato: nel complesso però sono rimasto abbastanza deluso.
Lo stile narrativo è eccessivamente didascalico, troppe volte l'autore ci spiega che una persona è fatta in un certo modo o perché compie un'azione. Max, questa è una delle prime regole: non dirmelo, fammelo vedere.
Si diceva dei personaggi: ora, io non sono tra quei fanatici che ricordano ogni minimo dettaglio di ogni puntata, ma comunque ho visto tutte le stagioni di CSI e posso dire di aver capito abbastanza bene il carattere dei protagonisti. Nel libro però ne ho ritrovato molto poco: se invece di Grissom, Brass, Willows ci fossero i CSI Smith, Johnson e Thompson sarebbe più o meno la stessa cosa.
Peccato perché sarebbe stato un buon libro se affidato a un autore più competente.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't yet read a book by Max Allan Collins that I didn't thoroughly love (his Saving Private Ryan novelisation captivated me when I read it for the first time back in high school), and this one is no exception.

Body of Evidence features two compelling (and disturbing) mysteries solved by the CSI: crew lead by Gil Grissom. Collins does a great job capturing the characters and the spirit of the show.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in the typical CSI style, as with the rest of the books I have read in this CSI series by Max Allan Collins this book does well to depict the CSI characters that we have come to love and enjoy on the TV series.

This book covers two distinct cases, with one thing in common.

Great, easy read.

[Michelle IRL · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and easy read, this didn't take me that long to finish. The characters are similar to how they are in the show, proving the author did his research. If you like the show, you'll like the books. This book alternates two different cases, keeping things a bit more interesting. It's very enjoyable to make discoveries and see everything come together as you get closer to the end, but maybe that's just my inner crime-nerd talking

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty much what you'd expect from a CSI tie in book. I do like that they show cases not from the TV show so you don't immediately know what happens.
I bought 5 of these books from a book sale a few years ago, i'm trying to get through them so i can donate them.

[Nancy Fredenburgh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good CSI episode. Grissom and his crew solve their cases with few problems.

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 4th book in the CSI series. Fast-paced and entertaining.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these CSI books because they read exactly like you’re watching an episode. Fantastic storylines and great details

[Christina Mages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, it's just like the show

[Matt B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty anticlimactic ending for me which felt kind of rushed. Other than that it's a decent enough read. 3 stars.

[Em · Rating 1 out of 5]

If

[Morgan A Kilth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read! Not my favorite in the series but that's only because I don't like reading crimes stories that have to do with child pornography

Check out my full review on my blog! https://morganakilth-storyteller.com/...

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as other CSI novels that I’ve read in the past. It’s not bad, it’s just that the cases are average. First of all, I don't think that the characters were very in character. They could have been anybody. Also, the cases are quite fast, with a few predictable red herrings. While guessing who is guilty is not too easy, guessing who is innocent is not that difficult. The solving of both cases is very similar, even though the crimes are very different.

If you haven’t watched CSI before, it’s not a problem, because you can read this as any crime novel. It can be enjoyed and perfectly understood by anybody who has never watched the show, because any personal information about the characters that's relevant to understand their actions is explained. I don't know if it's supposed to take place at any specific point in the series, but there isn't any indication of were, just that it's after the first half of season two because of some information about Nick.

It’s not a bad crime story, but it was nothing special.

---

Este libro no me gustó tanto como otras novelas the CSI que he leído. No está mal, pero los casos no son nada especial. No me pareció que los personajes estuvieran muy bien caracterizados. Podrían haber sido cualquiera. Los casos avanzan muy rápido y tienen pistas falsas predecibles. Aunque no es tan fácil adivinar quién es el culpable, adivinar quién es inocente no es tan difícil. Aparte de esto, la resolución de ambos casos es bastante parecida, aunque los crímenes son muy diferentes.

El no haber visto nunca CSI no es un problema, ya que este libro se puede leer como cualquier novela de crímenes. Cualquier persona que no haya visto nunca la serie la puede entender perfectamente porque toda la información personal de los personajes que es relevante para entender lo que hacen está explicada. No sé si se supone que tiene lugar en un punto específico de la serie, pero no hay indicación alguna de dónde, sólo que es después de la primera mitad de la segunda temporada por alguna cosa que se dice de Nick.

No es una mala novela de crímenes, pero no es nada del otro mundo.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I'm such a big fan of the show, I decided to try one of the novelizations. I got caught up in the story easily enough, and even finished the book quickly (a matter of one evening). Reading BODY OF EVIDENCE was a lot like watching an episode of CSI, and yet at the same time there were enough differences to keep it interesting--and, at the same time, irritating.

Character-development doesn't seem to be a big thing in these serial novelizations; nor, in fact, does a believable plot. And this book could have used some editing, as there are a LOT of grammatical errors that took away from my enjoyment of the story throughout the entire book.

But it is a quick read, and it DOES feel like I'm "watching" an episode of CSI. I enjoyed this one enough that I'm now reading a second, so I guess the author did his job!

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max Allan Collins has me hook, line and sinker anytime I open one of his CSI novelizations and this one was no different. Two horrific crimes, a veritable pool of suspects, and a ticking clock that has the team at the Crime Lab racing to find the culprits makes for an exciting mystery. One storyline follows Catherine Willows and Nick Stokes as they deep dive into the dark web after shocking photographs are found in a company's printer, and while this crime is a bit more tech savvy than they're used to, the CSI's are all over it. The other storyline gets a bit tricker when the Mayor's long-missing secretary turns up brutally murdered. Gil Grissom, Warrick Brown, and Sara Sidle must handle this case with care, or risk this case turning into the biggest media frenzy Vegas has ever seen. A great read once I got into it!

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inhoud:
CSI : Op een maandagochtend vindt een kantoormedewerker shockerende foto's die achtergelaten zijn in een printer. Ze tonen taferelen die wijzen op verschrikkelijke misdaden. Met behulp van forensische computerexperts ziet het CSI-team zich voor de taak gesteld om door middel van een eindeloze hoeveelheid hard- en software de daders op te sporen.

Waardering:
Gewoon een standaard verhaal, een moord en team die het oplost.
Drie sterren omdat het niet boven de gebaande paden uitkomt.
Standaard omdat het voorspelbaar is. Een simpel tussen de zwaardere boeken door boek. Om zo even te lezen. Het neemt niet weg dat het wel lekker leest.

Boekinformatie:
Uitgeverij: Karakter Uitgevers BV
ISBN: 90.6112.073.X
262 Pagina's; Paperback

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was addicted to CSI and when summer hit and I was out of episodes to watch, I headed straight for these books. And usually, I like to read books involving TV shows and movies so I can get an insight into the characters minds - monologues and such. I will admit that the characters were somewhat out of character from their TV counterparts, but that's also not too unusual. This book is set up sort of like a CSI episode where the team gets split up to work multiple cases and throughout the cases they'll occasionally meet up to debrief or mention in passing what they've found. It's all very good and suspenseful, just like a CSI episode. I really enjoyed reading this as it definitely fulfilled my CSI cravings!

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mr. Collins managed to capture the flavor of the CSI television show especially the early years. And this time he manages to put together two pretty decent mystery tales. So the book reads pretty much like an episode of CSI.

And while I enjoyed it to some extent I was put off by the quick conclusions that were reached. And also by the fact that both of the conclusions were similar in nature even though regarding two completely different crimes.

We still see some of the flaws inherent in the CSI series, meaning CSI agents actually doing investigative work by questioning suspects etc. that is not the authors fault because that just fits the confines of the television series that he is writing about. We also still have the idea that DNA results come back overnight.

[Sian Wadey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Body of Evidence by Max Allan Collins

I'm a massive fan of CSI, and CSI:Crime Scene Investigation is my favourite, so when I realised there were accompanying books I leapt at the chance. Collins knows what the characters are like and how they speak. It's evident he's researched the show. It was great reading new stories about some of my favourite characters. Overall, they're a good, easy read that require practically no imagination because you already know the people and their history.

[Karschtl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does not present you with a case that you already know from one of the CSI-Episodes, but it's a completely new plot. And I found I quite interesting that I learned something about the character's past (Nick in particular) that I didn't know already from watching countless of episodes on TV.
The two cases that the two teams are working on simultaneously are quite interesting, and I learned a new golden rule in crime investigation: always check out the first person on the scene thoroughly!

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a fan of the television series CSI, you will enjoy Body of Evidence. Reading the book was even more enjoyable than watching an episode of the series. The novel was published in 2003 so the main characters are Gil Grissom and Catherine Willows. If you are familiar with the series, you may imagine that you are hearing the voices of the cast while you are reading. I'm looking forward to reading more books from this series.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ok book. It's always fun to read about Grissom and Warrick, and now Catherine - characters no long on the tv show. But, the stories were just ok. When I read CSI spin off books, I'm looking for stories that simply couldn't be filmed for tv. These could easily have been episodes - nothing really special or unique about them. So, the book was an easy and quick read, but didn't stand out in any way.